Health Minister fudges situation with cynical use of data

“The Minister of Health is
fudging the situation when he claims New Zealand’s public
hospitals are employing more doctors than ever before,”
says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of
Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS).

He was commenting on
media reports in which Health Minister Tony Ryall says more
doctors and nurses are being employed in hospitals, the
Government is spending more on health and patients have
access to more health services.

“While the number of
hospital specialists has risen over the four years from 2009
to 2013, the situation is nowhere near as rosy as Mr Ryall
is painting,” says Mr Powell.

“He fudges the data by
mixing up specialists with doctors-in-training (some of this
specific data is also dodgy).”

“The reality is that
our public hospitals are chronically strapped for cash and
the increases in specialist numbers have been nowhere near
enough to meet the increasing demand for more and better
health care from an aging population with increasingly
complex health needs and because of the health effects of
increasing poverty.

“Based on headcount data provided by
district health boards the number of hospital specialists
has increased by 710 nationally over the period 1 July 2009
to 1 July 2013.

“In 2010 we jointly agreed with the
district health boards that in order to address shortages
New Zealand needed to increase public hospital specialists
by over 200 per year. The last time we did this was in
2008.

“In fact, the average annual growth of hospital
specialists has according to DHB data was 29 less that the
average annual growth in the previous four years under the
previous government.

“At first glance Mr Ryall’s
numbers might look good until you realise the level of need
that’s in our communities and the fact that many people
around the country are struggling to even make it onto
public hospital waiting lists for surgery that their doctors
say they need. Certainly we know that the vacancies public
hospitals advertise do not reflect the clinical shortages
being experienced, as vacancies reflect the funding
available to recruit to positions rather than the actual
need.”

Mr Powell says public hospitals will begin the
new financial year even more cash-strapped than usual,
thanks to the Government’s health budget announced last
month. Council of Trade Unions (CTU) analysis of the Budget
figures shows they face a shortfall of an estimated $94
million while the sector as a whole will be $232 million
short of what it needs.

“Mr Ryall is being a naughty
boy. Rather than release a media statement in the normal
way that can be seen by all and open to scrutiny, he has
released selective data to selected newspapers hoping to
avoid our scrutiny because we have previously exposed his
dodgy use of data. Good try but it didn’t work.

“The
way the Minister is using his Ministry’s data on clinical
workforce numbers is a cynical ploy in an election year to
convince people that – despite all evidence to the
contrary – they’re actually getting the health care they
need. All it shows in reality is that the Government is yet
again failing to acknowledge and address the very real and
concerning issues of funding and workforce capacity which
face New Zealand’s health
system.”

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